Being fat is bad for you, while slimmer people are happier and healthier. Everyone knows that. But some new findings seem to suggest that there are some pluses to being pulse sized.

And yet, every once in a while, along comes a snippet of research which proclaims that being bulky carries a hidden and entirely unexpected health boon.

Several studies of the recent past have suggested that adiposity is, if not the solution to some of our most damaging bodily disorders and conditions, certainly a surprising benefit. From arthritis to premature ejaculation, the asserted health boosts are numerous.

1. Being overweight carries a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis

According to a research publication in the medical journal, Rheumatology, the higher your Body Mass Index (BMI), the lower your chances of developing chronic arthritis. The research however identifies this particular perk of plumpness as being limited to the male of the species, meaning women don't get to enjoy this benefit and haave to resort to a life of both stiff joints and irredeemable podginess.

So, if your knees and knuckles begin to develop pains, make sure you eat your dessert. For, if you want to take this study at face value; the answer to aches could be cakes.

2. Being overweight means you're less likely to develop dementia

Another publication in the The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, overrides the previous notion that being overweight increases your chances of developing dementia. The publication of a study in April has turned this assumption on its head, instead proposing that second helpings of that jollof actually defended against senility.

But please if you are morbidly overweight, you are less likely to reach the average age of onset stated in the research anyway. But if by some stroke of African luck your body remains physically stroke-free, you will reportedly be 25 per cent less likely to encounter the symptoms of dementia on your journey through the twilight years.

3. Being overweight can mean a stronger immune system

A study - entitled Cellular Basis of Tissue Regeneration by Omentum - also sings the praises of mesenchymal stem cells: specialised cells that are found in abdominal fat and can repair tissue so quickly that you'll never even notice any damage to begin with.

To explain on a slightly more plain level, the cytologists are proposing that your extra bulk works like a blubbery barrier. Indeed, big men Danny Ross(who was stabbed 38 times and survived), Gerhard Steiner (who fell 20 feet unharmed) and Lawrence Bell (whose heft absorbed 8 bullets) are portly poster boys for the defensive qualities of flab.

4. Being overweight is linked to increased longevity and recovery time

If a couple of germs, infections or .38 bullets do make it past your bloated bulwark, fat comes to the rescue once again when it's time to convalesce.

An interesting observation, but probably not a convincing enough reason to start approaching every meal like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

5. Being overweight can mean you're better in the bedroom

Those lithe gym-goers amongst you may find this hard to believe, but your corpulent counterparts have verifiably better stamina than you between the sheets.

And scientific proof incredibly supports this outlandish claim. A female hormone called Estradiol, which can be found, once again, in that miracle abdominal 'spare tyre' of many men, is known to inhibit the male orgasm.

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